Fell Asleep to its Beat
by Weezlyx.x
Summary: A different side of the Malfoy family is shown after the Dark Lord takes up residence at the Malfoy Manor. When Draco is sent on a mission to capture Harry, Ron, and Hermione, he must make a difficult choice about his future.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

This is my first time ever even attempting to write a Harry Potter fanfic, so please give me some feedback and let me know what you think. I was trying to show a side of the Malfoy's that I haven't seen before. I haven't read many HP fanfics, so I don't know if this has been done before, but the ideas are all mine.

I hope you enjoy the story. Please let me know things I should work on, or things that you liked about it. :D

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><p>I opened the door to my large bedroom, taking in everything that my parents had been able to give me over the years. My parents are the most important thing to me, they've given up everything for my safety; they're my heroes.<p>

I was just getting back from one of the long arduous meetings that were becoming an almost daily occurrence. The Dark Lord was getting more and more power hungry; he wanted to battle Potter. He wanted to get it over with so that he could bring wizards to their proper place. The problem was, no one knew where Potter was.

Harry Potter and I had never been great friends; to be perfectly honest, for a while, I really hated the guy. It was definitely uncalled for, but I couldn't help it, to me, he was the reason my family was in danger. Recently, though, I've come to realize that he is our only hope. None of my family wants to be in the predicament that we're in now, and we need him to get ourselves out of it. I really hope he can do what so many think is impossible for him.

It was almost two in the morning. I started dragging my feet across the plush beige carpet that covered my floor. I didn't even take the time to strip off my shoes or clothes; I just fell onto my bed, and was almost instantly asleep. I haven't been dreaming lately, mostly because of the long hours, but also because of all of the horrific events that keep replaying in my head while I'm awake. Somehow, I'm able to block them out when I sleep, but only because I'm so exhausted.

Tonight was different though. She flew in and out of my dreams. The girl I haven't seen or thought of in months. I had to push her memory to the far corners of my mind. I couldn't show any kind of weakness, and love was the greatest of all. If you loved someone, it meant you trusted, and to the Dark Lord, there is no such thing as trust. Easy to say for someone who's only friend is a giant snake…

The dream wasn't very vivid. The only thing that stood out to me when I woke up was that her face was burned into my eyelids; every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. I couldn't start thinking about her again. Whenever that happened, someone got hurt. I wouldn't allow that to happen again, I couldn't live with myself if someone else got hurt because of me again.

Even though I knew the risks, I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing right now. Was she be traveling with her parents, reading _Hogwarts, A History _again, or would she, possibly, be thinking of me? Was she planning on going back to Hogwarts this year? It would be horrible, I knew, because the Carrows would be in charge of discipline. I really hoped she wasn't, I couldn't bear to see her get in trouble.

ѻ

"Draco, you must hurry! He is asking for you again," my father told me as he entered my room quietly. I immediately stood up, startled by his expression.

"What is it, father?" He was starting to worry me.

"Really Draco, you must hurry! I will tell you on the way," and with that, he turned and strode out of my room.

I took several large steps to catch up with him, and once we were side by side, he spoke again. "I don't know exactly what he wants, but he isn't very happy… you haven't done anything to anger him, have you?"

I thought for a moment. In the recent battles I haven't killed any of our 'enemies,' but there are only a few who do now. Other than the battles, I haven't had any orders from You-Know-Who, so I couldn't think of a reason as to why he would be angry with me. I shook my head; I found that I couldn't speak at the moment. When I closed my eyes, Hermione's face still smiled back at me.

"Hello, young Mr. Malfoy. What a pleasure it is for you to join us. Please, have a seat," You-Know-Who gestured to a chair to the right of where he was sitting at the long table. No other people were in the room, other than my father and me, and the Dark Lord himself. When I crossed behind him to get to my seat however, I realized who the other part of the 'us' was. Nagini was coiled up underneath the long table that had taken up residence in my family's sitting room. "I trust you found the place alright?" he asked, apparently, trying to lighten the mood. I faked a smirk. I thought it was anything but amusing, since he all but took over my life and my home.

"Lucius, you may also sit, if you must." He added, glancing in the direction of my father, as if he were not worth the effort to completely turn his head to see him standing at his shoulder.

My father locked eyes with me, and obviously saw what only he could see, my fear. He knew this wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't what he wanted either, but it had to be this way, for now. With a quick nod, I assume to give me some extra courage, he sat in the chair to You-Know-Who's left, directly across from me.

I was immediately more comfortable; I could breathe a little bit now, I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath… I was still very worried about what the Dark Lord might have in store for me.

"It has come to my attention that you may have had some kind of… relationship… with someone I find," he paused, staring hard at my face. "interesting."

I swallowed. I'm not sure how he would have ever found out about Hermione, but if he did, this would probably be my last conversation with anyone. What a great way to go. I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves, my face showed nothing, of course. "What exactly are you speaking about, My Lord?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Draco! I know your secrets!" You-Know-Who yelled, suddenly furious. "Don't think you can pull one over on me! You think, you, a pitiful excuse for a wizard, for a human being, can hide things from me, the most powerful wizard of all time?" He paused, obviously waiting for a response.

"Of-of course not, My Lord. I would never believe such a thing. I know very much of your greatness, My Lord. I am in awe of it, Sir," I stuttered, trying to find a way out of my blunder. If he became too angry, I might not be able to talk my way out of it.

My fear was a good enough reply for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, because he continued. "It has come to my attention that you developed some sort of friendship with one of Harry Potter's close friends while you were away at school. While this in itself is inexcusable, she was his mudblood pet, no less! What was going through your mind at the time, I've no idea, because it is the most vile thing I have ever had to imagine in my life. How could you betray me this way young Draco? How could you betray my trust this way?"

I laughed in my mind. _Oh, how rich! The most evil person in the world, the man who kills whoever steps in front of him, speak to me about trust? The man who has never trusted any living sole, ever in his life, is preaching to me about the importance of trust and honesty in relationships? _"My Lord, there is a simple explanation for what someone has mistakenly told you. It should have been obvious to anyone who saw me with her; I was repulsed by her very presence. She has no right to even breathe the same air as we do, My Lord. She is not worthy!" My insides were crumbling because of how I was speaking about the only person who really loved me for me. I knew it was what I had to say to stay alive though.

"What is this explanation then? The only reason I'm even giving you a chance to speak is because your family has always been so dedicated to me. You are lucky that your family hasn't been so stupid as you have been." His eyes were boring into me, I'm sure they were searching for the memories that he thought would betray me. Over the years, however, I had become skilled at changing certain memories in the presence of most people. The only time I dare let my mind wander is when I know for certain that I am alone, or when Hermione is near me.

"My Lord, I only pretended to befriend her. I thought, perhaps, the lowly mudblood would be able to give me valuable information on Potter. Information that I could in turn give to you. One day, I saw her running down a corridor at school. She was crying hysterically, looking more a mess than ever. I fought the urge to hex her, because I thought it would be the perfect moment to put my plan into action. I pretended to comfort her; I was trying to make her believe I was actually interested in the things that she was saying. I listened to her whine about the stupidest things for close to an hour. After that, I would occasionally talk to her in private, of course I wouldn't want anyone to see me with her. It wasn't anyone else's business what I was doing in hopes of gaining information for you, My Lord.

"I had several meetings with her, but they led nowhere. The mudblood is even dumber than I think anyone figured. She couldn't give me any information, even when I slipped her a truth-telling potion," I paused, outwardly appearing as if I was mulling something over in my mind. "I think Potter kept her around for… other purposes," I almost blushed, immediately ashamed of myself for implying such things about the most amazing woman I had ever met in my life.

"So you want me to believe that you were meeting with this filthy disgrace of skin, to find information on Harry Potter for my benefit?" the Dark Lord asked me, searching my face for anything that might give me away. I nodded. "And you also want me to believe that she didn't have any information to give you, after you had pretended to become her friend; her confidant?

Again I nodded. "Yes, My Lord. That is what happened. I assumed I needn't tell you about my failed plan, because it would only bring embarrassment to me, for it was so flimsy a plan to begin with. I am sorry I failed you, and made you angry with me in the process. I only hope you will give me the chance to make it up to you; a way to gain your trust back…" I looked down at the floor, lowering my face in shame.

The Dark Lord stared at me for several moments. Finally he said, "I have a mission for you. If you refuse me, I will kill you."

I looked up, almost startled by the death threat, but those were becoming commonplace in my house nowadays. He was going to send me on a mission… I thought I might have an idea about what it was, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up, especially not in front of the Dark Lord. "Yes, My Lord. I will do anything! Thank you, My Lord!"

He continued to stare at me for a few more moments, letting the suspense settle around the three of us in the large empty room. "I want you to find them. Find where Harry Potter and his mudblood and blood-traitor friends are hiding. Bring them to me here."

I only thought about the mission momentarily, making sure he knew that the details sunk in. "Yes, My Lord. Of course, My Lord. Who will you be sending with me to capture them?"

"No one, Draco. You will do this on your own. No guards or protectors. You will fail or succeed on your own this time,"

I couldn't believe this. I was going to see my love again. After so long, I would see her, and I could help her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

Well here's the next chapter. I would love to know what everyone thinks, if you like it or not, please review it for me! If you have any suggestions, they are very much appreciated! :D

After the Dark Lord dismissed me, I hurried back to my bedroom. I wanted to quickly get packed and be on my way, but first I needed to think things through.

It wouldn't be hard for me to find Harry. I had a way of finding where Hermione was, it was something I could sense when she was near. We had lots of long talks about different trips she took with her family; I knew all of the places she would want to go to hide out.

But what if You-Know-Who sent someone to track me? What if he sensed that I wasn't being honest with him, and he wanted to make sure he got Harry and his friends? He could easily find Hermione if he could find me…

I needed to talk to my mother. She would know what to do. She would know if I would be able to shake anyone that was following me, and she would be able to tell me how to know if someone was in fact following me. The Dark Lord used to use her very often as a tracker. She knew the ins and outs of being on the run as well.

I started packing a few things. I wouldn't be able to talk to her for a few more hours. I had no idea when You-Know-Who wanted me to leave, but I figure it would be as soon as possible. I had to make it look like I was eager to do his bidding. This time, I actually kind of was. He was sending me on the greatest mission I could think of; he was sending me to my love. I had to stop and think about that for a minute.

Hermione was the only person I've ever had any kind of feelings for. It's true, while I was at school, I was constantly surrounded by people, but I never had any feelings for them. I had a couple of girlfriends, but it was only because I knew it would look odd if I never dated. I have always been, in fact, the most good looking boy that school has ever seen. I smiled at the memory that that thought brought back.

Hermione had said it to me after about a month of our secret meetings. We were sitting in an empty classroom, the _mufliato _spell used on the room to make sure we weren't overheard. We were sitting next to each other on top of one of the desks, my arm wrapped around her waist; she was lying her head on my shoulder. We sat there for hours, talking about everything we could think of. Home, family, school, friends, vacations, dreams, goals, love.

"You know, Draco, you'll never have to worry about finding someone, and having them fall madly in love with you," she had told me, glancing up at my face to see my reaction.

"Why do you say that, Hermione? I'm nothing anyone thinks I am,"

"That's exactly why, Dray. You are amazing. You're the kindest, smartest person I know. Although, you hide it well sometimes," she giggled. I squeezed her and let out a low laugh. It was true; I could be very cruel sometimes. It went against everything I believed in though.

We sat in silence for a little while. We were content just being together.

Finally, she spoke up again. "I think you're probably the most good-looking boy that Hogwarts has ever had the pleasure of teaching," she smiled.

I looked down at her, taken aback. Her cheeks blushed slightly. I reached over to her face with my free hand, and brushed the hair out of her face. I traced her cheek with my hand, stopping on her bottom lip. I looked deep into her eyes, and she looked into mine.

I think it was that moment, when I truly fell in love with her. It was the first time we had ever kissed; it was perfect. I can't even explain how amazing she made me feel, when I was with her, I didn't feel like damaged goods, I didn't feel doomed anymore.

I shook my head, bringing me back to reality. Hermione was in trouble. I knew she needed my help, and I'm sure Potter needed it too. I was anxious to find them, but I had to make sure I was completely prepared.

Out of the top of my closet I grabbed an old school bag. It didn't seem very big, but I had an expanding spell on it. Hermione and I had worked on the spells at the end of school last year. We both knew there were things we were going to need to run from, or in my case, to. I packed the essentials, of course, clothing and hygiene products. I also dropped in my broom, some healing potions, polyjuice potion, and extra ingredients for other potions we may need. I also dropped in some school books, and novels. I would need to find the old family tent and pack that as well. I told myself to remind me about bringing food with a no spoil spell on them. I would need to talk to the house elves for that one, I had never done any spells on food before.

When I was just about finished packing, I went looking for my mother. She had all of the information I needed. I found her in the library. We used to spend a lot of time here together, but when You-Know-Who moved in, that stopped. Nothing was normal anymore, and I'm not sure it would ever be.

I walked out to where she was sitting, and perched myself on the chair next to her.

She finished the page she was reading, and looked over at me. "Do you need something, Draco?" she asked.

"Yes, mother. It's very important,"

She set her book down, giving me her full attention. "What's wrong, Honey? What do you need?"

"Are we alone in here?" I asked in a low whisper. I glanced around to check.

"I think so, dear, now, what is it?"

I cast the _mufliato_ spell around us just in case. I'm overage, so my magic can't be traced, plus, the Dark Lord himself is in charge of the ministry of magic, and he was living in my house. What would he care?

"Mother, I need you to tell me everything you know about tracking," I told her.

She let out a long breath. "Is that all, sweetie? You had me worried half to death!" She paused, putting her hand to her heart for effect. "Well, what do you need to know?"

I thought for a moment. "How do I know if I'm being followed?"

"That's easy. Trackers leave traces all around you. You don't see them if you don't know what to look for. They usually only come and watch you every five minutes, otherwise it would be much easier for you to spot them. They cause slight shifts in the air, every time they apparate out. If you are constantly looking around, you might even be able to see one apparate. It would definitely scare the bejeezus out of anyone following you, because they know their charges are always dangerous,"

"Is that all? I have to constantly look around for someone apparating in and out to know?"

"Oh, of course not, dear. There are many ways to tell. But if you catch them enough times, you'll scare them, and it will be longer before they come back. It usually gives the person long enough to get far away, and it takes the tracker some time to find them again. They also leave behind footprints, and usually some kind of sign as to where they've been, so they know if you're returning to the same place. Always be aware of your surroundings,"

"But is there any way to dodge them completely? If one is following me, can I ever really get away from him?" This was one of the most important questions I could think of.

"There are ways around anyone, Draco. You just have to be able to spot them," she smiled. "I know how clever you are. There are different ways to get by most trackers. If you are able to catch them, then you can pretty much control them completely. But it depends on who has sent the tracker, because even if a tracker is killed, the sender may decide to send more. Usually when more trackers are sent, it's on higher level missions. Nothing you should have to worry about for a while, son,"

"Do you usually know if there are trackers sent out, mum?" I was really hoping the answer would be yes.

Her forehead crinkled slightly. "Why do you ask, Draco?"

"I need to know if you know if there is going to be a tracker sent after me, mother. I have to know if I will truly be alone on my mission,"

"What mission is this?" she asked, her voice taking on a shrill tone.

"Father didn't tell you about it?" I asked. I was sure that would have been the first thing my father would have done.

"No. He's locked himself in his office; I only assumed the Dark Lord had given him a load of research to do,"

I shook my head. "No, I have to find Hermione. He told me that I have to bring Harry Potter and his friends here, to him. This is the only chance I have to help them mother, but I need to be sure I will be safe, and not followed. I still have to think of a way to get out of bringing them here, without anyone getting hurt. I know he has something up his sleeve," I stopped talking. I was going to work myself up, and that wasn't going to help anyone. I needed to keep my head clear. I needed to get away from the manor. I needed to make sure I wasn't being followed, and I needed to find Hermione. I had to make sure she was safe, and keep it that way. I would think of a plan, at some point, I always did. But first, I had to out think Voldemort.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

I'm starting to get the story where I want it. It's taking a little bit to make it what I want, but I hope you enjoy it. Please, review it and let me know what you think. The chapters should start getting a little longer soon. :D

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><p>I could hardly sleep that night. I had Hermione on the brain. I had finished my conversation with my mother last night, talked to the house elves about food, and then retired to my room for the night.<p>

My mother was the only person I had ever told about Hermione. I hadn't even told my father, because I knew You-Know-Who would interrogate him about me. My mother was a woman, so didn't count as high as my father, according to You-Know-Who. Bellatrix was really the only woman that You-Know-Who could bear in his presence for long periods of time. Therefore, it was safe telling my mother about my feelings for a muggle born witch.

She couldn't be anything other than happy for me. I knew she was glad that I had finally found someone who I was able to show the real me to. She knew that Hermione knew how I really felt about You-Know-Who. She also knew that Hermione would never tell anyone about it, and would never hurt me.

The entire time I was with Hermione at school, I couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to be with me. She could have her pick of any of the boys there, but she chose me. Obviously it was hard, and it is destined to be hard. I will never be able to have an easy relationship, but she took the challenge whole heartedly. I knew from our first secret meeting, that I would be the luckiest man on earth, if I had this girl as my own.

One time, I mentioned my feelings of inadequacy, and she laughed out loud at me.

"Draco Malfoy! Don't you ever think you aren't worth the world!" she lectured me after her laughing had subsided. "Anyone would be lucky to have you, but then, they would have had to have gotten past me, and that would be next to impossible," she smiled her toothy smile. The smile that I came to love.

"Hermione, you don't seem to get it…" I trailed off. I didn't know how to explain to her my thoughts. Here was this amazing girl sitting next to me. The very sight of her took my breath away. Her touch sent shivers down my spine. Her mind was as deep as one could get, and she was the most observant person I had ever met. She could tell when I needed to talk, and when I was just acting around my schoolmates. She was perfect. I was the opposite of that. I was a damned man. I would never live a free, normal life. I would always have to answer to You-Know-Who. I was bred for him; I had no choice.

"Draco," Hermione said, pushing my chin up with her finger. "Don't let anyone make you feel like you aren't the great person that you are. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for, I only wish I could make you see it," she leaned up to my face, and brushed her lips gently against mine.

"You always seem to be able to make me feel a little bit better," I smiled. She rested her forehead against mine, smiling. "I can't seem to find the words to tell you what exactly I'm thinking,"

She rested her hand on mine. I looked down at our hands. Her small tanned hand looked stunning against my large pale white one. I couldn't help thinking about how beautiful our children would be, if we ever got the chance to have any. "Just think about it, and tell me when you're ready,"

We were quiet for a few minutes. I was mulling over how I could tell her my fears. How would I be able to admit my fears to this girl, who seemed braver than anyone I had ever met? I could barely admit to myself that I didn't want my future to turn out the way it was planned for me. The part I was dreading most, was admitting to her that I was truly, madly, and deeply in love with her, and I was thinking about how our future together might end up. My whole life, I had been told that I need to keep my feelings to myself, because they could only get me in trouble. My mother was the only one who encouraged me to keep feeling at all.

"Hermione," I started with a sigh. I had finally formulated a beginning, and I would just have to see where it ended up. "I have to tell you something very important," I looked down at her, expecting to see her looking up at me seriously, but what I saw was her peacefully asleep on my shoulder. At the sight of her, everything flew from my mind. All I could think of was how beautiful she looked, and how happy she seemed. The only word that I could think was love.

It was later that I realized that this was going to be a problem. At that moment, however, it was the solution.

When I thought it was a suitable time for me to be getting up, I did. It was about seven in the morning. I had some more potions I wanted to pack in my bag, and my mother wanted to eat breakfast with me before I set off. After I couldn't find anything else to shove into my bag, I went to the small dining room to find my mother.

She had arrived just before me, and had sent the house elves to get make my favorite breakfast. She also told them to get me some extra food to take with me. She knew that Hermione and the others would need food. The easiest thing to do would be to duplicate all of the food, and there would be plenty for everyone. I had a nanny once that taught the spell to me as a child. She was from Norway, and thought that we were too strict on magic restriction, and taught me things she thought I ought to know. They came in handy every day.

I was surprised at how cheery a meal with my mum made me. It was something that I had missed recently, because my family always used to sit together every night, before the Dark Lord made himself at home here.

"Thank you for waiting to leave for a little while, Draco," my mother said after she took a drink of some pumpkin juice.

I nodded. "Of course, mother. I'm really enjoying this. We haven't been able to spend much time together recently. I'm going to need a good memory of it while I'm away on my mission," I smiled.

"Do you think you'll be back in time to go back to Hogwarts?" she asked.

I thought for a moment. "I think I probably will be. I bet You-Know-Who wants me to go back anyway. He probably thinks he needs all the help inside there as he can get," I sighed. I had always thought of Hogwarts as a second home. The thought of going back there next year, knowing some of the things to expect made me a little bit nauseous. The things that would be going on in Hogwarts was going to be some of the most horrible things the castle will ever see.

I forced my next few bites. I knew I needed to eat, I needed all the energy I could get, and I knew the nausea would pass.

"I can pick up your school things when your letter comes, if you're not back yet," she glanced around, and dropped her voice. "I'll stop by that sweet store you like so much, and pick you up a few goodies as well," she smiled slyly.

I smirked. "Thanks mum. I appreciate it,"

We started talking about all sorts of things after that. We stayed at the table for a full half hour after we were finished eating, just to keep talking. I almost didn't want to leave; I had forgotten how much I loved to be home. It was weird how normal this conversation felt. It was almost as if I was just back from school for my summer break, not that I had to leave to go on a mission for You-Know-Who, who I was planning on double-crossing and saving the girl who had become the love of my life and her friends. What made it even worse was that her one of her friends just happened to be The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, and all sorts of other names, really meaning that he was the one that was destined to kill He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. If my plan didn't work out, I was screwed.

When it was finally time for me to be on my way, I stood up, and gave my mum a hug. I squeezed her tight, and she squeezed me back, giving me the courage and confidence I would need on my journey.

"I love you, sweetheart. Be safe," she whispered in my ear. I could tell she was barely holding in her tears. The tone of her voice made me start to choke up a little as well.

"I love you too, mum. I'll be back soon, no need to worry," I told her, smiling as I pulled away from her. She rubbed her hands up and down my arms, making me feel safer than I had in some time. She kissed me on the forehead, and turned and strode out of the room.

I stood in the dining room alone for a few moments. I looked around at all of the pictures on the wall. It was one of the only rooms that still had any of my family's personal affects left in it, because the Dark Lord was never seen in this room. There were some pictures of me when I was still just a baby, riding a small broom around the living room. My father had brought it home from me for my birthday, but he couldn't wait to give it to me, so he did that night after dinner. I was in my pajamas in the picture, my light hair blowing behind me as I zoomed circles around my father's legs.

I missed the way things used to be. My family had been so happy then. So worry free. I can't wait until Harry gets it together, so things can be that way again; so that when I have kids, I won't need to worry either.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

So, I just went back and fixed the first chapter... Apparently I had Ginny on the brain and not Hermione, but it's all fixed now. :D This chapter and the next one are a little short. Sorry about that. I'm kind of liking the way I'm splitting everything up, but I'm sure it'll start to get irritating if I never get to Hermione, and if the chapters are only a few lines. They'll get better (I hope! XD)!

Please, let me know what you think about this story by giving me a review. I love them, they make me feel special!

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><p>My mum had looked into finding out about any trackers being sent after me, but she didn't come up with anything. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew that it could just be a trick. I learned long ago that nothing is ever what it seems at first glance; I was still going to need to be very careful about being followed.<p>

As I slowly started my way down the drive of the Malfoy Manor, I couldn't help but worry about what I was going to have to do. I was racking my brains as to where Hermione might be, but I didn't know for sure how long they had been on the run, and been using Hermione's hiding places. I did know that they left the burrow the night of one of the Weasley son's wedding. That was the day the ministry was taken over.

I wanted to start out randomly popping around to different places, staying there for a few nights, and making it look like I was really looking for the three young wizards on the run. If I was secretly being followed, then I would need to be careful. As long as I paid attention to my surroundings, then I should be okay. Mum told me that I had to look for signs from the trackers.

I couldn't keep my mind from Hermione. I had made myself stop thinking of her for over a month, but I could no longer make myself keep her memory at bay. As soon as the gates to the Manor closed behind me, my mind was flooded with the memory of her smell, the ghost of her smile, the way she looked when she slept, even the way she said my name. Especially the way she said my name; it seemed like there was so much more behind the word when she said it. It never failed to make my heart skip a beat. That was what I lived for.

I pictured in my mind an abandoned forest, only a few miles from the home I grew up in. I had gone camping there once with Blaise and his family when I was young, and still thought of it from time to time. I had never gone camping before; my father didn't like nature much, so we mostly stayed in the house. I grew very fond of books when I was a child, and that made a different kind of bond with my family than most other kids I knew had. I knew my family through books, not experiences.

I held my wand and turned on the spot, the ancient forest never leaving my mind. After a split second I looked around, and was no longer in front of the Manor, but an insignificant spec among the thousands of enormous trees that now surrounded me. I felt instantly comfortable, and had to remind myself that I needed to protect myself from any unknown dangers.

I went in search for a clearing in the trees, and started to set up the perimeter of my camp space with different protective spells. When I was satisfied that my spells would hold up against intruders, I set to work on my camping tent. As it was just me setting up camp, it took quite a while. I had to get things set up in the tent, and after I moved to a different site, it would take less time to set up.

It was nearly lunchtime when I finished my campsite, but I wasn't hungry. I was wondering what I was going to do with all of my time; I didn't have anyone to talk to, I didn't think to bring a radio, and I really didn't feel like reading. I sat back in my chair, and thought of what Hermione might be doing at that moment. She had her two best friends with her, granted, they were on the run from the most evil and feared wizard in history, but still, she had the comfort of her friends with her. God, I missed her.

I remember the first time I saw her, in our first year at Hogwarts. It wasn't until the sorting had begun that I had really started to look around at the other new students. You could tell from first glance that she was a kind, intelligent person. I caught myself staring several times. Even then, I knew she was different to me. I was only eleven, but I could tell something was not the same about her. She knew more than anyone in our year, and that never changed.

She didn't look like the Slytherin type, but I hoped beyond hope that she would be sorted into my house. I never told anyone that of course, and I didn't show it on my face that I was interested in her fate at all. When she was sorted into Gryfindor, I knew I couldn't ever have a relationship with her. That was even before the Dark Lord returned, but my father knew he was not really gone. I tried my best to ignore her from that day forward, but it only got harder as they years went on, and she started hanging around with Potter and Weasly.

I sighed. I missed the way her body fit perfectly beside mine. The way she would stand on her tippy-toes to give me a kiss. I really just missed the way I always felt when I was with her. I was starting to forget the way my heart always sped up. Her touch was electric, and the hair on my arms would stand on end when she would brush her skin against mine. I couldn't ever picture myself with anyone but her. I knew the way I wanted my life to end up, I just needed to think of a plan.

The next few days passed like that. I thought of different things I loved about Hermione. I tried to think of ways to protect her from You-Know-Who. I imagined the world the way I thought it should be, where You-Know-Who was defeated, where Hermione and I could live in peace, and not have to hide the love we shared. I didn't know how much longer I would be able to go without seeing her; without talking to her; without kissing her soft lips.

I had to keep myself away for just a few more days. I had to be sure that I wasn't being followed. There would be nothing I could do if I was followed and captured after I had found them. There would be no way for me to hid them from You-Know-Who successfully. I shuddered at the thought of what he would do to me if he knew what I was planning on doing. He wouldn't kill me quickly, that's for sure. As for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, it would be even worse. I shook myself from the thought.

Nothing bad was going to happen to them. I would make sure Potter knew what he needed to defeat You-Know-Who. He was the only hope I had of being with Hermione for the rest of my life. I hated the fact that I had to trust everything I held dear to my heart to Potter. If he failed, the whole world would be doomed.

I started to pack up my camp the next morning. I was going to move on to just outside a little town about twenty miles from where I was. I didn't want to bring attention to myself by making big leaps. If I was being followed, they would wonder why I wasn't looking in more places. Although, it would be pretty stupid if the three of them were anywhere near the Manor. Hiding in plain sight might work for some things, but You-Know-Who could see through that. I was getting paranoid about looking around myself for any signs of a tracker, but no matter how often I looked around in the cloak of the trees, or searched the ground for any signs of human life other than my own, I found nothing. Apparently I wasn't important enough to waste You-Know-Who's precious spies. This did nothing but ease my mind over the next week or so, when I started to move around more frequently and without any real thought.

It was actually an accident when I stumbled upon them after only a week and a half of mindlessly meandering in old deserted forests.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

So, this chapter is horribly short. I'm sorry. I think it sets up the next chapter pretty well though. I hope you like it!

Remember, I love reviews, whether it's good or bad, or indifferent. Just let me know what you thought. :D

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><p>I couldn't believe how easy it was to find them. I wasn't even trying, in fact, I was actually trying <em>not<em> to find them, and I literally ran into their protective spells. I almost apparated away then; if there was a chance that I could be getting Hermione captured, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Then my heart started to take over. It had been over a month since I had last stared into her beautiful eyes; since I had held her close to me. Why wait any longer? I had found her, and we could be together again, at last.

There was no way to try and get through their protective spells without either hurting myself, or scaring one of the three of them out of their skins. I would have to wait until someone noticed me. Hopefully they were making an effort to have a lookout. I figured that Hermione hadn't told Potter or Weasly about us, so only if she was on lookout, or if one of the two said something about seeing me would I have a good chance at getting in there. It wasn't every day that a Malfoy went wandering around in the woods, it's not like my family loved to go on hikes or anything.

After only a few minutes of me standing just outside of the sphere of protective spells, I heard someone begin taking the spells down, just in front of where I was standing. To my surprise, however, it was not Hermione that stood before me, it was Harry Potter himself.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Potter growled. I thought this was quite foolish, because, if Hermione hadn't told him about us, I was known to be the enemy, and I wouldn't be likely to travel alone.

I looked down at him. "Well Potter, I've come to help. May I speak with Granger please?" I tried to look past him, to see if I could spot Hermione anywhere. He stepped into my view before I could see more than the grass right in front of their small tent.

"There's no reason for you to speak with her. You should leave, now."

I was actually a bit confused about this. All of the scenarios that I had played out in my mind, this was not even close to any of them. I never imagined that I would not be allowed entrance, or even to speak to Hermione. In my mind, the hardest part had always been shaking a tracker, and staying away from Hermione. So far, my plans had not been going accordingly. "Harry," I looked into his eyes, possibly for the first time ever. "I need to see her. Please."

He probably wasn't used to me using his first name, because he opened his mouth, but no words came out. He closed it, trying to compose himself, and then said, "You're not welcome here," and he started to put back the protective spells around the small gap he had made between the two of us.

I couldn't just leave it at that. "Hermione! Hermione, it's me! Please, let me in, I need to see you!" I tried to push Potter back; I had to get in to see Hermione. She must want to see me too, right? She should be longing to be in my arms, she would come running out of the tent when she heard my voice; come running to me and shove Potter out of the way when she saw it really was me… that was how it was supposed to happen. But I didn't see her beautiful thick hair poke out of the opening in the tent, I didn't see her wonderful toothy smile, and she never came running. I just stared at Potter, stunned. It seemed like my whole world was collapsing on me. The only thing in the world I knew for certain was my feelings for Hermione, and hers for me, but this seemed to prove what a git I was.

She must have just been using me for information. All of the time we shared together at school wasn't because of her feelings for me; they were just to gain information on the dark side of the war for Potter. _Precious Potter_. I had never hated him more than I did right now. He was somehow behind this; he was to blame for all of this. Hermione never wanted to see me again, obviously. I was so stupid, how could I think that she would ever fall in love with me? How could I have fallen in love with her? I wish that it had never happened, because I couldn't breathe now. I felt like I wanted to die.

Why didn't I see the signs before? There must have been signs that she really didn't have true feelings for me. It was hard to believe that I could have been this wrong about anything. I was so sure that we were in love, that it was the real thing. Granted, I've never really been in love before her, but our relationship was so unlike anything that I've ever had before. I thought surely it was true. I was wrong though. I had told her everything, and she, in turn, had told Potter. They probably laughed about it all, even now; they were remembering things that I had told her, the fact that I was scared of the end of school, how I hated the Dark Lord, and how my family was really wonderful. No death eater ever loved their family, that was probably just a big joke to them.

Could I really just sit here and take this? Could I really just accept that I was wrong? I had never been wrong before, about anything. There had to be something else going on that I didn't know about. I would have to figure it out. I would wait for as long as it took. I decided to stay right where I was; just wait for them to pack up and leave, they would take down their protective spells, take away any trace that they had been there, and I would be waiting right here, and as soon as I saw her, I would demand that we talk, so that I could get to the bottom of this thing.

Why did she lie to me?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

I hope you like this chapter. Please, review and tell me what you thought about the story. :D

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><p>I sat on the ground, and stared at where I knew the protective spells were concealing the three run-away teens. I would wait for as long as it took. I didn't know how long they had been here, but I knew they wouldn't stay in one place for too long. They would leave, and I would see her. I would talk to her, and get my answers.<p>

It took two full days before there was anything changing in the woods around me. I heard the protective spells start to disengage again, and jumped to my feet. If they were getting ready to leave, they could do it quickly, before I could get close enough to stop them.

I walked forward to where the spells were being reduced, and when they finally cleared, I saw what I had been waiting for so long to see. Hermione.

Here she was, standing right in front of me, but she wasn't smiling. She didn't seem happy at all to see me. She looked more annoyed than anything. Had I really misread the signs that much? How could I have thought that she cared about me so much, if really all I was was a nuisance? She pushed me out of the way, and stepped through the cleared wall of enchantments, only to turn around and replace them.

I stood back, and waited for her. When she turned to face me, I opened my mouth to speak, but she raised her hand to stop me, and started constructing a much smaller sphere of concealment charms around the two of us.

When she was finished, I asked, "What did you do that for?"

She didn't say anything back to me, but just stared at me. She moved slightly closer, searching my eyes. "Who are you?" she whispered.

I looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? It's me, Draco." We had only spent a year together at Hogwarts, that's all.

She shook her head, looking down at the ground. "No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"What are you doing here, Draco. It's not safe for us. It's not safe for you," She looked back up into my eyes; her's were brimming with tears.

I stepped closer to her, putting my hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "Hermione," I whispered, she whimpered slightly. "What's happened? I've come to help you."

She looked down again, her whole body shaking with her sobs. "You can't help. No one can help."

I pulled her close to me. I knew that she just needed to get it all out. I pulled her down, so that we were sitting on the ground. I rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back, and singing softly, trying to calm her down. When her sobs turned into hiccups, I pulled back slightly, so that I could see her red, puffy face. "What's happened, Hermione? What's happened?"

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again. It's been a hard month, it has," she whispered, snuggling her head into the crook of my neck. "I'm so happy to see you,"

I smiled. Finally, things were going back to normal. I squeezed her, letting her know that I felt the same way. "It's been too long."

I felt her nod. We were silent for a moment. "Why are you really here?"

I sighed. I knew somewhere deep inside that she would know there was a reason. There was no way I would be allowed to go out and find her on my own, there must be something wrong. "I've been sent on a mission," her body stiffened. It was never a good thing when the Dark Lord sent you on a mission. "I'm not really going to follow along with it,"

"What are you supposed to do?"

"I'm supposed to find you guys, and take you back to him," I closed my eyes. I couldn't even imagine actually following through with the mission.

"How did you find us?"

"I wasn't actually looking for you yet… I just kind of, ran into your protective spells,"

She looked up at me, shocked. "But if you could find us without even trying, who's to say some other death eater won't be able to?"

"The death eaters are stupid, I think I was thinking about you too much, and I just kind of… found you,"

Hermione finally relaxed back against my chest. I missed so terribly the feel of her body against mine. Nothing else mattered just now.

After a few moments of silence, I started some of my own questions. "Why didn't you come to me when I first arrived?"

She sighed, and didn't answer right away. "I haven't told them yet. Although, they kind of knew that something happened at school. When Ron saw you, he made sure he told Harry quietly, so that I wouldn't hear, and Harry came out here to take care of it…"

"But I yelled out for you, you didn't even come out of the tent,"

"Draco, I didn't know what to do. I've been so confused lately. Dumbldore left us with so many things to take care of; we don't have time to waste on anything. I wasn't sure what you needed, or if it was even you. Harry and Ron thought it might have been someone using polyjuice potion, and they wouldn't let me out of their sights,"

"How did you get out here today, then?"

"We were packing up, and I told them if they didn't leave me alone to see if it was really you, I would leave, and they would have to take care of themselves. I had to remind them that I'm a big girl, and can take care of myself, even against an evil pratt like Draco Malfoy." She giggled.

I could only smile a little bit. It was hard for me to imagine. She had known that I was out here for two days. She had known that I had found her for two days, and only when they were about to move on did she come out to see me. How could she have waited so long? I was itching to be with her from the time we said good-bye at Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I really am," she said, almost as if she could read my mind. "I've been really distracted lately. So much has happened to us, I'm still trying to process it all." She paused. "I don't know how I'm going to explain to them what you're doing here. I'll have to tell them the whole story, I suppose," she said more to herself than to me. "Are you going to come with us?" she looked up at me, hopeful.

I looked into her eyes, I almost got lost in them, my thoughts being absorbed by all of our happy memories together. I leaned down, and brushed my lips against hers. I had waited so long to kiss her again; I never wanted it to end. When we pulled apart, I leaned my forehead against hers. "I would do anything for you, my love."

She smiled wide, and kissed me again, quickly. "I knew you would always be there for me,"

I smiled back at her. "Always."

We sat in silence once more before Hermione decided we should get to telling Potter and Weasly that I would now be accompanying them on their journey.

Hermione took away all of the spells she had placed around us, and set to work on making a small doorway through the larger dome that the three had been previously sharing. I followed her in, and she started to place the spells back up. I stayed close to her, knowing that Potter and Weasly would not like the sudden addition to their intimate group.

"You guys," Hermione called out, getting the two grumpy teenagers attention. They had been lounging around the entrance to their tent, trying to make it seem like they weren't staring pointedly at the two of us. "We need to talk for a minute,"

A minute turned into over an hour of yelling from Potter and Weasly, with a few comments from Hermione or me, trying to calm them down. When they finally did, Hermione and I glanced at each other for a moment before starting.

"Draco is going to be accompanying us for the rest of our trip," Hermione said point blank. Before either two boys could start to argue, she glared at them and said, "I don't care what you say, you need me, and he can be of much more help than you can even fathom. He's coming, and that's that. If you'd like for us to explain anything further, or if you have any questions, that's fine, but I want you to get along, and you two need to try and be nice. I'm not going to tolerate you three fighting all of the time, and if any of you care about me, you'll put your differences behind you,"

All three of us just kind of stared at her. This was new, she wasn't usually so forceful. I liked it. I smiled at her, and grabbed her hand.

"Well what's that about?" Weasly asked, horrified.

"Oh, well. We're in love," Hermione smiled.

"_Oh, well. We're in love."_

It was rattling around in my head. It was so simple. It was the answer to everything. I couldn't help but smile, and the look on the two boys sitting across from me was just too great.

"Is anyone hungry?" I asked, after the pair of them didn't say anything else. "I have plenty of food, and I know the duplication spell, so we'll have plenty," I grabbed my bag off of the ground, and pulled out a loaf of bread. "I could whip up some sandwiches if you'd like,"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

Sorry it's taken so long to update. I was have a bit of an issue with writer's block...

Let me know what you think of the story so far. I love reading reviews!

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><p>At first, neither of the two young boys wanted to even look at me, but when I had made them food, they couldn't ignore me any longer. It was obvious that they hadn't been eating properly since they've ran off, and they desperately needed food.<p>

Hermione filled me in on their story so far, when neither Potter nor Weasley would speak to me. Apparently they had left the night of the Weasley wedding, and had had a run in with some Death Eaters just a few moments later. After they had fought them off, they had gone to the Black family house, which now belonged to Potter. She had to tell me a little bit about how that happened, but didn't go into much detail, since it seemed to upset Potter when she mentioned it. All she told me was that Sirius Black was Potter's Godfather, and he had been left the house in his will.

They had stayed at the Black house for a few weeks, but decided to get some information from the Ministry. She kind of implied that they had to get something from there, but didn't tell me much about it. I figured a lot of the information I was going to get would be somewhat vague. Anyway, they didn't get out of the Ministry easily, and were almost captured. This was only about a week ago, and they've had to be on the run in the woods since then, because a death eater had latched onto them while they were trying to go back to the Black house, and they think he was able to get in.

"I don't think we can go back there now… I'm just sure that there will be someone there, waiting for us,"

"Hermione, it's no one's fault that it happened. It was just dumb luck," Ron said, speaking up for the first time in almost an hour.

Hermione nodded. "I think we should probably be moving along now. We can talk about all of this after we get settled again,"

ѻ

"Where are we, Hermione?" Potter asked after Hermione had taken all three of us to a new clearing in a different forest.

"I went camping here once with my family," she replied, looking around, and started to set up the protective spells around us.

Potter and Weasley took that as a good enough answer, so I didn't press for any more information, like where exactly that was…

They both went to put the tent up, and get their things set up inside, so I followed suit, and got mine out. Hermione came over when she was finished with the dome, and helped me put sheets on one of the beds.

"Where did you get this? I thought your family didn't camp."

"We don't," I laughed. "I went camping with Blaise once as a child, so my mother bought one for me. My family's never been one to borrow things from anyone…" I laughed. "He's not a sharing kind of person,"

"Well," Hermione smiled. "I expect it will get very lonely in here, so if you ever need any company…" she trailed off.

I smirked at her. "My, my, Hermione. Are you coming onto me?"

She started to giggle. "Draco, you're so cute. I'll be here every night for you, if you want me,"

"Well if it's only a matter of wanting, you'll never leave," I laughed. I missed being able to act like this; like I was seventeen. For several years it has been getting steadily worse at home, with the Dark Lord rising in power, and I had been forced to grow up much too quickly.

Hermione smacked me on the arm. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Malfoy,"

"You're the one that went there, Granger,"

She laughed and turned to walk out of the tent, but I caught her arm and swung her around to look at me. "I don't think you realize how much I've missed you," I whispered, pulling her closer to me.

Her eyes lowered slightly. "I've really missed you too, Draco. I wish things could have gone differently. But this is the path we have to travel,"

"At least we can do it together now," I put my hand under her chin, pulling it up so she had to look me in the eye. She nodded slightly as I slowly started to lean in toward her. She stood up on her tip-toes and met me in the middle. She wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. I held her as close to me as I could.

It didn't seem to matter how often we were together, every time we kissed, it never ceased to make me feel like it was the first time. I never wanted it to end, because finally everything in the world felt right, I was supposed to feel like this all the time. I was grateful for everything that Hermione meant to me, because it was even more than love. She represented freedom. Whenever I was with her, she made me feel like anything was possible, even if something bad happened, it would work out okay in the end. It was when I had to be away from her that I would fall into deep depressions, and it was all I could do to not think horribly about the war. I knew what had to happen, and I had to be ready for it, at any time. I couldn't be in a state of mind like that; I couldn't be feeling sorry for myself because the world wasn't the way I wanted it to be. Her presence helped me understand.

Ѻ

The next few days passed without much incident. Potter and Weasley didn't speak to me if they didn't _have _to, and I didn't mind that much. I didn't hate the pair, but they weren't my best mates, either. For Hermione though, I tried a little bit harder than I think they would have.

"So – er, _Harry_," I started. Hermione had asked me to specifically call her two friends by their first names, because it only made her feel like we were all stuck in detention at Hogwarts when we didn't talk civilly to each other; or something. "Did you camp much as a child?"

He glanced over at me, I'm sure determining whether or not my question had some kind of edge to it. "No. I lived in a cupboard for twelve years… I didn't get out much,"

I heard _Ron_ stifle a laugh. "Oh, that's one way to grow up I suppose. I didn't camp much either. I went once with my friend Blaise, you know him I think, Harry, he was in the Slug Club with you."

The two just stared at me, as if they couldn't understand why I was talking to them.

"Uh, Malfoy, why are you telling us this?" Wea- Ron asked after a moment.

"Well, I'm just trying to get to know you guys a little better. I figure we're going to be stuck together for a while, so we might as well start to like each other a bit more," I smiled.

They glanced at each other, then back at me. "I think we can act just like we did at school. I don't see why we have to pretend like we don't hate each other, becau-"

"I don't hate you guys… I never did." I interrupted Harry. "I'm mean, sure, at first you weren't my favorite people, but I never hated you. And I know you're the only hope we have in killing You-Know-Who… I'm willing to do anything to help you,"

Harry was staring at me, his mouth open. This was the second time that I had had this effect on him. He didn't seem to understand me at all, but before this week, was sure he did completely.

"Who are you?" Ron asked.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, it's nice to meet you," I smirked, extending my hand to Ron to shake. He looked at it for a moment, then reached out and grabbed it.

"Ron Weasley…"

I released Ron's hand, then presented it to Harry, smiling the whole time.

"Harry. Potter. You're insane, you know that, don't you?" he asked after I released his hand.

"There's only one reason for my insanity, and she's sitting in the tent reading a children's story," I smiled.

Ron and Harry looked at each other again. It seems like I keep surprising them. _The old Malfoy would never have said anything so cheesy… _

"I really do love her…" I whispered. "I'd do anything for her."

Harry looked at me then, like he had never seen me before. I think he must have understood what I was talking about. He probably felt the same way about Ginny Weasley. I had seen them around the school a lot at the end of last year, and Hermione had mentioned them several times. I knew this was the only thing that would bring us together. I would still need to work on Ron, but Harry and I saw eye to eye on something, it would be all we need.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

So sorry it took so long to get this one out... I've had it finished for a few days, but I just haven't been able to get on and get it uploaded. XD

I could have sworn that it was like, really long, but apparently I'm going crazy, which is a definite possiblity, what with all of the drama I'm dealing with at work and home, plus the FINAL Harry Potter movie is being released in less than two days! Definitely can't wait to see it, it's going to be amazing!

Anyway, I'm kind of rambling. Hope everyone's summer is going great, and I really hope you like where the story seems to be going. If you have any questions or comments, or just want to ramble and be awkward like me, please, don't hesitate to REVIEW!

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><p>I was almost asleep when I felt the covers on my bed being pulled back, and a familiar warmth wrap itself around me.<p>

I had been traveling with Hermione, Harry, and Ron for seven days. Over that time, I've come much closer to the two boys than I ever thought I would. Hermione would sleep with me every night. It was the only time we could ever really be alone. Harry and Ron made a point about almost always being around us, so we couldn't have any private conversations. I think this was partially because they didn't want Hermione telling me certain things about what they were up to.

I was never sure where we were after we moved somewhere new. It didn't matter much to me, but if we got separated somehow, I wasn't sure how we would ever find our way back to each other. We never really had a reason to leave the safety of our dome though; we had everything we needed there. My food supply was still going strong, and I hadn't had to use any of my potions, so there weren't ingredients that needed to be gathered. It was almost as if we were just on a really long camping trip.

"Good evening, my love," I whispered into Hermione's hair as she settled herself in my bed.

"Good evening to you too, Draco," she said as she turned herself around and pressed her lips to mine. I could feel her smiling through the kiss.

"I could get used to this camping thing. Maybe we should just never go back," I joked.

"We could raise a family out in the forests," she laughed.

"Although we'd have to find some locals for the other two, or they might get jealous."

"Shut up, Draco," Hermione laughed, and play-smacked me on the chest. "You're very imaginative. Like there would be any forest locals who would want to be around Harry and Ron," We laughed.

I love that we could be out in the middle of nowhere, where we virtually didn't know where anything was, and could still joke around. It was almost like the war wasn't happening. I was surprised by the fact that we weren't bored very often. We found ways of keeping ourselves busy and entertained. Harry and Ron were amazed at the fact that I thought ahead to bring my broom.

"Mine was destroyed at the beginning of the summer," Harry had said when I pulled mine out of my bag.

"And I don't think it even crossed Hermione's mind to bring mine along. She hates to fly, you know," Ron added.

"I'm aware of that, Ron," I smirked. "She has confessed to enjoy watching Quidditch though,"

"I told you, I will deny it if it was ever brought up, Draco." Hermione called from her perch on the comfiest chair in the tent. She was reading the children's storybook again. I think she probably read it several times over the week.

I laughed. "I told you, I have proof of the conversation, Hermione."

"You do not," she said as she looked up from her book.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Wanna bet?"

"Hmph!" she stuck her nose back into her book.

"Good ol' Hermione, huh Harry?" Ron laughed.

I was actually really glad that I had come to find these guys. Whether it was from an order from You-Know-Who or not, I was glad I was here. I was getting to know the people who would spell demise for You-Know-Who; I was becoming friends with the heroes.

Ѻ

"There's no more bacon?" Ron shrieked as we were getting ready to eat breakfast.

I continued to rummage through my bag. "That's what it looks like, mate,"

"Don't call me 'mate'! You don't have any more bacon!"

Hermione started to laugh. "He gets kind of angry when he gets hungry…" she told me under her breath.

I smirked. "Sorry, I guess I forgot to do a duplicate spell on it before our last meal… I've still got lots of other stuff, too though," I pulled out some eggs, bread, and potatoes. "We can make a scramble toast,"

Harry leaned closer to me, "It might be best if you just start making something… The smell of cooking food usually calms him down,"

I nodded, and started a fire with my wand. "What did you guys do when you didn't have real food?" I asked in a low voice.

"Well, it's bad in the beginning, but he kind of mellows our after about a week," Hermione began.

"But now you've got him started over with good food, so he'll be like this every morning… and at lunch…" Harry continued.

"And dinner…" Hermione finished.

I chuckled at them. "You can definitely tell that you guys have spent a lot of time with each other over the years,"

They looked at each other and smiled.

"I'll go and see if I can calm him down until breakfast is ready," Hermione said as she stood up and started walking over to where Ron was sitting, holding his stomach and groaning.

"You know," Harry said, after Hermione was out of ear shot. "You can tell that you two have something real… You can tell it's not just a joke or something,"

I looked over at Harry for a moment, and nodded. "Thanks. I really don't know what I would do without her. She's really helping me change,"

He nodded. "I can tell. I'm glad you guys found each other," he paused. "She's never _really_ been with anyone before. Never had a real boyfriend. I don't think it's ever bothered her, she knows that she's pretty, and smart, and funny, but she doesn't need someone fawning over her, you know?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Harry. I'd like to think that I'm good for her too. I think I'm mostly good at being a distraction, you know what I mean? So that she doesn't have to focus all of her attention on the war all the time… everyone needs that." I looked over at him.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"So… I think I know… You… You and Ginny are together, right? I've seen you guys around school together,"

He sighed again. "We were. I broke up with her, before we left this summer,"

"Why? You two looked so happy together,"

"I couldn't risk her feelings. If something happened to me… if she got to attached, and I failed, how would she ever recover, and have a family of her own? She always wanted a big family, and with me out of the picture, she can fall for someone else, and have the life she always wanted."

I shook my head. "If she doesn't want someone else, it won't matter."

Harry looked over at me. I thought for a minute that he might be mad, but he looked really unhappy, like he knew that I was right, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"Think will work out for you, Harry. There's a plan for all of us," I smiled.

"I hope so," he answered.


	9. Chapter 9

There's several ways I want to start this A/N... First, I'm sorry it took so long for this to get posted... I've actually had this done for like, a week, but I kept thinking I wanted to add more to it... but I didn't. The second is that I'm not sure about this chapter. I think I need some input on the way that you guys think my story is going. This is a bit short, but I kind of like the way it ends... I will try my hardest to get the next chapter finished and posted this weekend. I've just kind of been a bit _bleh_ for a while, and I never write very well when I feel like that. lol.

Anyway, sorry it's late and short... Let me know what you think by **reviewing**, and I will love you forever. :D

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><p>"I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to trust us…" Harry said for the hundredth time tonight.<p>

"I do trust you! That's why I'm here. I don't understand why you're leaving me out of this…" I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. We'd all been arguing for well over an hour. None of it made any sense to me.

"We won't be gone long, and we need to make sure you and the camp stay safe," Hermione told me, placing her hand on my arm. I pulled away from her, and turned my back on the three of them.

Harry and Hermione were going somewhere together; they wouldn't tell me exactly where, or for what reason. Ron was going into the nearest town to see if he could find more information on the war, and I'm sure, to see if he could get some more bacon. I was being left at the camp, to sit and wait around to see if they came back. They could be captured in an instant, and I wouldn't even know about it.

These three people, who I used to think of as nothing, were now quickly becoming the best friends I had ever had, and will probably ever have for the rest of my life. They were leaving, and I didn't know how long they planned on staying out, doing God knows what. Would they be doing dangerous things? Would they need backup? Should I follow them, just in case they need me? If they get hurt I have potions that would cure just about anything I could think of. They could even be walking into a trap. They wouldn't tell me anything.

"Draco," Ron came up to me, standing just to the right of me. We definitely weren't fast friends, and we had never really gotten to the point where saying each other's first names was natural, but I knew he was a great guy, and he seemed to think the same about me; we just didn't talk much. "I know you think this isn't fair, but it's the way it has to be just now."

I sighed, nodded my head once, and he walked back to join the others.

"We'll be back soon, I promise," Hermione whispered in my ear. She kissed me on the cheek before she walked over to the edge of our protective campsite. Ron followed her away, and Harry came to stand next to me.

We were quiet for a moment. "We just have to be sure," He told me.

"Sure of what?" I asked, looking over at him.

"The three of us have known each other for seven years, Draco. There's very little we don't know about each other. But you… You really just came into the picture. We have to be careful about everything we do, including our choices about people we let into our secrets. Knowing the things we know will put you in even more danger than just being with us,"

I shook my head. "I don't care how much danger I'll be in. Can't you see that? I want to help. I want to be of use to you. Because I trust you guys more than I've ever trusted anyone ever before. I believe in you."

That was the first time I had ever been able to put into words the way I felt about being with Harry. _I believed in him. _I knew that he could do it. He could do anything he put his mind to.

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Draco. This is a very hard decision for us to have to make, but the plans have already been laid. The best way to show us that we can let you in, is for you to go along with what we've planned," he paused. "I will tell you this, though: this trip out of camp is more personal than anything else. Hermione and I are going to the cemetery where my parents were buried,"

A wave of understanding washed over me. Of course he wouldn't want me to go with them. That was a very private thing for him; as long as I've known him it's been a touchy subject, and to the best of my knowledge he's never been to their graves. I know it's going to be hard for him to actually go up to them, it just makes everything so much more… real.

"Alright Harry. I'll go along with whatever you tell me to, because I trust you. I'll do what I have to so that you feel like you can trust me too."

"Thank you Draco," he put his hand on my shoulder, and smiled.

I nodded my head. "What should I make for dinner?" I smirked.

Ѻ

The sun was setting when I felt that something wasn't right. Harry and Hermione had left only a few minutes ago; Ron had decided to leave a little before them, so that he could get to town before the shops closed.

I closed my eyes and pushed the feeling away, assuming it was only my mind trying to get me to leave the campsite. Harry and Hermione probably weren't even out of the forest yet, they wouldn't have run into any trouble this quickly.

I waited about an hour before I started making dinner. I didn't think the three of them would be gone for too much longer; town wasn't too far from our camp, and they told me they would try not to be too late.

Ron came back about fifteen minutes after the food was finished cooking.

"Did you find much out?" I asked him after I had removed and then replaced the safety spells that surrounded us.

He shrugged. "I figured I'd just tell everyone at once. So I don't have to repeat myself, you know?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Sure. Uhh… Dinner's ready if you want it. I was going to wait for Harry and Hermione, but you're welcome to start without them," I pointed to the pot that was now placed next to the fire. I used a spell on the pot to keep the contents warm without the flame of the fire.

"Nah, I'll wait for them, too," he walked over to the fire and sat down next to it. I followed him over, sitting on a log a few feet away from him. "I found some bacon…"

I laughed out loud. "I thought you might. Here, I'll put it in my bag with the rest of the food." When I saw the look on his face, I added, "I promise I'll make sure I duplicate it before we eat it," I smirked.

He reluctantly handed over the meat. I never knew someone could be so attached to a dead part of an animal. Ron was slightly odd.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

I forgot to put the disclaimer on chapter nine, and I don't feel like fixing it, so just pretend it's there. :D

Okay, so I know I didn't get it up this weekend, but a day late isn't too bad, is it? lol. Well, I think it's a bit longer than the last couple I put up, so at least there's that. I think this chapter clarifies some things. I'm sure there's some differences from the book, and there will be a lot more as the story progresses, but I'm trying to stay pretty close to the timeline.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and taking up space and precious time. I hope you enjoy. **Review** and let me know what you think!

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><p>Ron and I didn't have to sit in awkward silence for long, because Harry and Hermione returned, giving everyone something to do.<p>

It probably wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, but it shouldn't have anyway. Harry and Hermione did go to his parents graves, but they also went to his old house. It had never been rebuilt, it was still standing, in the same condition that You-Know-Who left it in. Many people had come to Godrics Hollow just to see it, and had signed their names, or left words of encouragement for Harry. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was obviously something that Harry and Hermione had different personal views on; it seemed to me that Harry was touched by it, and gave him a little more confidence knowing these strangers believed in him so much.

Anyway, while they were looking at Harry's old house, a little old lady walked up to them. It wouldn't have been that odd, except that they were under Harry's old invisibility cloak, and they knew she could somehow see them. It turns out that this witch, I think Harry said her name was Bathilda or something like that, turned out to be You-Know-Who's snake, Nagini. While it was still in the form of the old witch, it separated Harry and Hermione, and then tried to attack Harry.

"Hermione was bloody brilliant," Harry was beaming, as I was pouring a clear colored potion on his hand. He winced as the liquid ran into his wounds, but it was a fast pain, the gashes were already turning into smaller and smaller cuts. "She noticed something was wrong, so she ran up the stairs to tell me… We probably wouldn't both be here if she hadn't found out on her own." He looked over at Hermione, who was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. All she did was shake her head at him.

"If you ask me, you two were just lucky that nothing worse happened to you," I started, but Ron interrupted me, although his words mirrored what mine would have been.

"How could you think that following some old bat home would be a good idea? And she never said a word to you? What in the name of Merlin were you thinking?"

I nodded my head at Ron, then at Harry and Hermione, showing that I agreed with him.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know… I just – you know how so many people are saying all sorts of things about Dumbledore since he died? Apparently Rita Skeeter got most of the contents of her book from this Bagshot woman, and Hermione had heard of her, so I figured it would be safe to follow her… I just wanted to know if what we're doing is really right; if it's really what I should be doing."

No one spoke for a minute, but I was a bit confused, so I asked, "Are you saying that you don't know if fighting You-Know-Who is what you're really supposed to do?" I started out quiet, but as my anger rose so did my voice. "Are you trying to say that you don't know if it's worth your time to fight the most evil wizard that any of us are ever going to hear of? You don't know if this is the right path for you, Potter? I'm going to tell you this; I'm only going to say it once, so listen closely: if Albus Dumbledore left you with a task, then it is your responsibility to do that, because there is nothing that that man has ever been wrong about."

Harry looked at me, his mouth open for a moment. "Draco, you don't know what I'm talking about, so I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to me about it."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Oh, I'm _sorry,_ please, excuse me for telling you to stop being a prat and do what you were always meant to do,"

"How would you know what I was 'meant to do'?" Harry asked, looking at his two friends as he did so.

"You must be more dense than I ever thought possible. Do you realize how many meetings I have had to sit through with You-Know-Who? Do you think he knows nothing? Obviously not. Before he found out about me and Hermione, I was in on almost everything that happened. The information of the prophecy included."

"You know, I think I was right not to trust him," Harry said, looking down his nose at me. "He obviously knows more than he lets on. I'm sure he's just here to spy on us,"

"Harry! Don't you think if he was still working for You-Know-Who he would have already alerted someone? If he were still working for You-Know-Who, we would surely be dead by now," Ron rounded on Harry. "All he's been trying to do is help us - help you! He wants to get rid of You-Know-Who just as much as you do."

I know, who would have thought Ron would have stood up to his best friend, for _me_?

"You think he wants You-Know-Who dead more than I do? He killed my parents, Ron."

"And he's been torturing _his_ for years." Hermione added.

"They chose that life," Harry yelled. "It's their own fault. But I have to fight for their freedom – how is that fair?"

"It's not." I said. "I know it's not, but that's how it is. It's because of you that we're all here. Because of you most of the wizarding world is trying to fight against the Dark Lord, and it's because of you that people are still hopeful for a happy ending." I told him, calming down slightly.

Harry shook his head at me. "I don't get you Draco. We hated each other for years, and now, all of a sudden, you're changing sides and you _believe_ in me? What's that all about?"

"You don't 'get me' because you're not trying. You're not really looking at me as a person." I paused. "I never hated you; I was jealous. You were going to bring the down-fall of You-Know-Who, and all I could do is sit at his side and do as I was told. I didn't think it was fair. That's why, when Hermione and I started to spend more time together, I tried to think of a way to get away from You-Know-Who, so that I could help get rid of him. Ron's right, if I were still under his command, none of you would be alive right now," I said the last part quietly. We all knew it was true. Now if we were caught, not only would my three friends be killed, but I would too.

"We're looking for something." Ron said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Ron, _shut up!_" Harry shot at him.

"No. He's told us what we needed to hear. Why he's here. He just told us what we've been wondering since he showed up,"

"No he didn't, Ron." Harry told him. "He told us part of the reason he came. You didn't find us just so that you could help get rid of You-Know-Who, did you?"

I looked at Harry, not sure what to think of him at that moment. "Harry, the only other reason I wanted to find you, is because of Hermione. I had to be near her, and I had to be sure that she was safe. Without her, a world with You-Know-Who would be nothing,"

Hermione sighed, looking at me. She slowly got to her feet, and took a few shaky steps toward me. I stood up quickly and rushed to her. "Draco," she whispered. She nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck, where she started to sob uncontrollably. "I'm so glad you came," she choked out between sobs.

I pulled her tighter against me, rocking her back and forth slightly. After a moment, I looked over at Harry and Ron, who were now sitting next to each other. "I don't know if you guys can understand, but this is all that matters to me now,"

"Hermione, or the war?" Harry questioned.

"Both. Don't you get it? This, us, is all that will end it. We have to work together; we have to fight as a team. You need my help to find what you're looking for, obviously. I've been with you this long, and you haven't found it,"

"Well, we found one," Hermione sniffled.

"What? How many things are we looking for?" I asked.

"We have one, but there's still three more. We think we know what one of them is,"

"What is it?"

"Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?" Ron asked.

"Maybe," I said, my brows furrowed in thought. "I think I might have heard something about them, somewhere… It's, a piece of a soul or something, right?"

Harry nodded. "You-Know-Who has a lot of them. We have one right now, but we don't know how to destroy it… We don't have anything right now."

Hermione and I settled down so that they could all fill me in on everything that Professor Dumbledore showed Harry. They finally told me what Dumbledore told them needed to be done; what we were doing. They told me how You-Know-Who created his Horcruxes, and their theories on what they might be. This was definitely something they needed for; I knew You-Know-Who better than all three of them, even if I couldn't get inside his head.


End file.
